Notoriously dangerous road which has claimed the lives of several people to have series of bends removed

A notoriously dangerous stretch of road which has claimed the lives of several people is to have a series of bends removed.

Three young friends lost their lives on the road when the car they were travelling in hit a tree in Co Carlow last January. 

A safety scheme is being developed for the Leagh Bends section of the Carlow to Wexford road by Carlow County Council, in partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), which will lead to the dangerous bends being removed along a 3km section of the road.

The road is part of the busy primary access route from Dublin to Rosslare Europort. 

Daryl Culbert, 21, from Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, Katie Graham, 19, from Arles, Co Laois and Michael Kelly, 25, from Nurney, Co Carlow were killed when the red Lexus car they were travelling in left the N80 in the townland of Leagh, less than 10km from Carlow town, and crashed into a tree at around 11.30pm on January 31.

A fourth occupant of the car, a man in his 20s from Ballinabrannagh, Co Carlow, was treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries in Beaumont Hospital.

According to locals, the stretch of road where the collision occurred is generally regarded as dangerous, with several serious crashes occurring in recent times. 

Last September, a man died following a two-vehicle collision on the N80 at Gráig Na Spideog, a short distance from where the three young people lost their lives on Wednesday night. 

Up to eight people have been killed in accidents on the road.

Local Fianna Fáil TD Jennifer Murnane O’Connor welcomed plans to remove the dangerous bends on the N80.

Deputy Murnane O’Connor received confirmation from Taoiseach Simon Harris that a safety scheme is being developed.

She highlighted that there has been a “marked increase in collisions” on the particular section of the road “in the past 18 months, including the most recent tragic incident at the end of January this year.”

The deputy added: “This much-needed safety scheme will result in a number of dangerous bends at this notoriously unsafe location being removed. Strategic safety cameras will also be installed by the gardaí in a bid to improve road safety,”

TII has issued approval to Carlow County Council to progress the Leagh Bends minors scheme to detailed design and planning approval stage. 

It is anticipated that the Council will submit a planning application to An Bord Pleanála before the end of next month.